Not much bothers me, but this REALLY bothered me.....

[sam_gordon]

Did not take a photo of my ID at check in. He asked for it, I gave it to him, he looked at it, and slid it back to me. Even if they had, the girl did not look at any file. She just asked me what room I was in, took out a plastic room card and entered my room into a calculator-looking machine, slid the card through it and hand it to me.



I don't go past the front desk to access my room. My room is closer to the "back door" I can access with my room card. Even if that were the case, that they see me going back and forth, there is no way they know what room I am staying in just by me walking back and forth. Anyone in that hotel with a room key could have told them their key didn't work, give them my room a number, and wah-lah! Instant access to my room. That's ok because the front desk people see this person walking back and forth each day, they must be staying in the room they say they are?

If you think about it, only hotel guests would be able to get a new key... they would have to show the old key (that presumably matches the design of that hotel) and claim it was deprogrammed. While theoretically possible, I would guess the odds of a current hotel guest wanting to do harm to another current hotel guest are pretty slim.

I would hope if someone walks in saying they got locked out of the room or lost the key the front desk would at least ask for the name in addition to the room number.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

If you think about it, only hotel guests would be able to get a new key... they would have to show the old key (that presumably matches the design of that hotel) and claim it was deprogrammed. While theoretically possible, I would guess the odds of a current hotel guest wanting to do harm to another current hotel guest are pretty slim.

I would hope if someone walks in saying they got locked out of the room or lost the key the front desk would at least ask for the name in addition to the room number.

OR... she found this Ramada Inn key in the driveway or something after her husband left for the day. This is just a Lifetime movie in the making.

 

[sam_gordon]

OR... she found this Ramada Inn key in the driveway or something after her husband left for the day. This is just a Lifetime movie in the making.

A found key isnt going to tell you the room number though, so I'm not sure how that helps

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Sorry op I wanted to ask this on your thread vrs starting a new one

Say you stayed at a hotel and multiple people had a room key and you did not figure out till after you got home you still had your hotel key that happened to me I went to get something out of my wallet and noticed the hotel key was still there

 

[suemom2kay]

If you think about it, only hotel guests would be able to get a new key... they would have to show the old key (that presumably matches the design of that hotel) and claim it was deprogrammed. While theoretically possible, I would guess the odds of a current hotel guest wanting to do harm to another current hotel guest are pretty slim.

I would hope if someone walks in saying they got locked out of the room or lost the key the front desk would at least ask for the name in addition to the room number.

You don’t need a key or ID in many instances. Some front desk clerks have handed me a key just based on me telling them my room number. They then address me by name. but, didn’t ask for ID.

Conversely, if they don’t ask for ID, I could’ve told them my name and they could have looked it up that way. Either way, they should be asking for ID If you don’t have it, cause it’s locked in the room they should be asking you identifying information which they can verify on your account. Some clerks cut corners. I can’t say it is the norm but it definitely happens more often than people think

 

[sam_gordon]

You don’t need a key or ID in many instances. Some front desk clerks have handed me a key just based on me telling them my room number. They then address me by name. but, didn’t ask for ID.

Conversely, if they don’t ask for ID, I could’ve told them my name and they could have looked it up that way. Either way, they should be asking for ID If you don’t have it, cause it’s locked in the room they should be asking you identifying information which they can verify on your account. Some clerks cut corners. I can’t say it is the norm but it definitely happens more often than people think

So email management of the hotel and let them know they're slacking. Has there been a rash of people faking their identity to get into hotel rooms that aren't theirs? Does it happen? I'm sure. Is it something I'm going to worry about? Absolutely not.

 

[suemom2kay]

So email management of the hotel and let them know they're slacking. Has there been a rash of people faking their identity to get into hotel rooms that aren't theirs? Does it happen? I'm sure. Is it something I'm going to worry about? Absolutely not.

Thanks for the advice. From my perspective, I am not worried. Some others would be very bothered by this. I am just merely pointing out that in my experience (180 nights so far this year) it happens.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thanks for the advice. From my perspective, I am not worried. Some others would be very bothered by this. I am just merely pointing out that in my experience (180 nights so far this year) it happens.

What happens? You get a new key with no ID? Never doubted that happens.
Someone fakes who they are to get a key to someone else's room? Probably happens, but the odds are so small, it's not worth worrying about (IMO).

 

[Allison]

It should bother you. I would contact management.

Hotels really need to tighten up this procedure.

A New Jersey woman was raped in an Embassy Suites hotel after a man asked for and was given a key to her room. He then got by the safety lock when a maintenance man let him in the room without proof of occupancy.

 

[suemom2kay]

What happens? You get a new key with no ID? Never doubted that happens.
Someone fakes who they are to get a key to someone else's room? Probably happens, but the odds are so small, it's not worth worrying about (IMO).

Bet you’re not a woman traveling alone.

 

[suemom2kay]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.northjersey.com/amp/2877833002

 

[Allison]

I came across that story a few months go when researching Embassy Suites.

 

[suemom2kay]

I came across that story a few months go when researching Embassy Suites.

It is frightening. I tend to be very laid back with how clerks do their job (so used to traveling, nothing bothers me). But honestly, if I were to complain every time a clerk breaks security protocol, I’d probably spend way too much time emailing hotels. But definitely something for folks (especially women) traveling alone to think about. I just wanted others’ on the thread to realize this is unfortunately a common occurrence.

 

[Allison]

It is frightening. I tend to be very laid back with how clerks do their job (so used to traveling, nothing bothers me). But honestly, if I were to complain every time a clerk breaks security protocol, I’d probably spend way too much time emailing hotels. But definitely something for folks (especially women) traveling alone to think about. I just wanted others’ on the thread to realize this is unfortunately a common occurrence.

Yes, same. I have no qualms traveling by myself and generally don't worry much. However, people do need to be aware.

 

[sam_gordon]

It is frightening. I tend to be very laid back with how clerks do their job (so used to traveling, nothing bothers me). But honestly, if I were to complain every time a clerk breaks security protocol, I’d probably spend way too much time emailing hotels. But definitely something for folks (especially women) traveling alone to think about. I just wanted others’ on the thread to realize this is unfortunately a common occurrence.

How do you define "common"? Does it happen? Of course. I never denied that. But if you look at all the hotels rooms being used every day (and yes, even by solo women travelers), what are the odds that this happens?

And what good does it do for travelers to know this happens? The lady in your article even had her lock on. Either this is serious enough to do something about or it's not.

 

[MeggyScumEsquire]

That is alarming. (Edit: alarming, but I agree that the majority of the time it isn't likely to be someone else trying to get in to a room)

The batteries in our in room safe died while we were staying at Disneyland Hong Kong and when staff came to our room they wanted to see ID before they would open it/change the batteries. Our id was in the safe so they did finally agree to open it but checked our passports as soon as it was open. I was glad they were strict.

 

[suemom2kay]

How do you define "common"? Does it happen? Of course. I never denied that. But if you look at all the hotels rooms being used every day (and yes, even by solo women travelers), what are the odds that this happens?

And what good does it do for travelers to know this happens? The lady in your article even had her lock on. Either this is serious enough to do something about or it's not.

Enough. I said it is common for clerks to be lax in security of room keys. Stop arguing with me for sharing my experience as a frequent business traveler. The OP was surprised this happened to her (the key thing nothing more). I am simply adding that it is more common than people think.

Statistically speaking, most likely nothing will happen to a person when traveling alone. But, clerks are often lacking in verifying ID. And clearly, on this occasion, a maintenance worker thought it a good idea to let a MAN in a hotel room when his supposed girlfriend had locked him out.

Not sure why you keep quoting my posts.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It is frightening. I tend to be very laid back with how clerks do their job (so used to traveling, nothing bothers me). But honestly, if I were to complain every time a clerk breaks security protocol, I’d probably spend way too much time emailing hotels. But definitely something for folks (especially women) traveling alone to think about. I just wanted others’ on the thread to realize this is unfortunately a common occurrence.

I think the story you linked it's more of a failure on multiple levels

For instance while idealy you should be asking for ID to show you are a guest of the specific hotel room the story goes on to say that the safety latch had been engaged but the guy talked to a maintenance worker saying "worker he had had a fight with his "girlfriend" and she had locked him out of the room"

It's extremely fortunate that the woman in the article had the safety latch engaged in the first place (guess that's a good reminder I should remember from now on to do that more often) but TBH I actually find the worst part of the story is that the guy was able to talk to a maintenance worker and get into the room that way by manually disengaging the security latch.

Most people would go down to the front desk to say they couldn't get in their room and maybe that would have been the second opportunity for the front desk to ask for ID or some other security measure would have been done IDK.

But the wording of the article you linked makes it sound like it was a nonchalent discussion with a random maintenance worker--like did he just see someone in the hallway or what? Furthermore it sounds like the the maintenance worker made it even worse by leaving the guy unaccompanied and just leaving.

Asking for ID may have prevented the exact situation but like I said I find the worst part to lie with the maintenance worker.

 

[suemom2kay]

It's extremely fortunate that the woman in the article had the safety latch engaged in the first place (guess that's a good reminder I should remember from now on to do that more often) but TBH I actually find the worst part of the story is that the guy was able to talk to a maintenance worker and get into the room that way by manually disengaging the security latch.

Agreed.

 

[suemom2kay]

Double post